verhindern German · revision 35528

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=derivation|attested=9th century, Old High German glosses|origins=gem-pro *hinder}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * /fɛɐ̯ˈhɪndɐn/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''verhindern''' (third-person singular present verhindert, past tense verhinderte, past participle verhindert, auxiliary haben)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[inh|gmh|verhindern]], [[inh|goh|firhintaren|t=to cheat, defraud, withhold]]: the prefix [[ver-]] added to [[hindern]].^(Wiktionary)^(Pfeifer 1993)^(DWB|25, 569) The Grimms' dictionary notes that the prefix only strengthens the meaning, and that the construction is the same as with the simple verb.^(DWB|25, 569)

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+ The simple verb is [[gmh|hindern]], [[goh|hintaren]], derived from [[hinter]], like [[ang|hindrian]] and [[non|hindra]], continued in [[nl|hinderen]] and [[en|hinder]]; it meant “to put behind, hold back”.^(Kluge 2011|416)^(Duden 7 2020) The same pattern gave [[äußern]] from [[außer]] and [[fordern]] from [[vorder]].^(Duden 7 2020) The preposition goes back to [[gem-pro|*hinder]], also in [[got|𐌷𐌹𐌽𐌳𐌰𐍂|tr=hindar|t=behind, beyond]].^(Kluge 2011|417)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ Old High German ''firhintaren'' is first recorded in glosses of the second quarter of the 9th century, meaning “to cheat, impair, embezzle, withhold”.^(Köbler AHD)^(Pfeifer 1993) The Grimms' dictionary explains this sense, rendering Latin ''fraudare'', as “to bring secretly behind oneself”, and notes that it is not found later.^(DWB|25, 569)^(Duden GWDS 1999)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ The concrete sense “to push someone or something behind oneself” is rare; common from Middle High German on is “to hold someone back, to disturb in carrying something out”, glossing Latin ''impedire''.^(DWB|25, 569) In Early New High German it came to mean “to block, not let something happen”.^(Pfeifer 1993) Luther and his contemporaries used it with a personal object and the genitive of the thing one is kept from, and Maaler's dictionary has ''durch kranckheit verhinderet werden'' (“to be kept back by illness”).^(DWB|25, 569) Kirchhof uses it for “to place behind another, put at a disadvantage”.^(DWB|25, 569)

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+ Adelung defined it as ''hindern'' with an intensifying prefix: to cause something not to happen, or someone not to accomplish something.^(Adelung 1793) The sense “to hinder someone” lasted into the 19th century (Goethe, Büchner) but is now obsolete.^(Duden GWDS 1999)

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+ ==Timeline==

+ * 9th century – Old High German ''firhintaren'' in glosses.^(Köbler AHD)

+ * 16th century – Luther uses it for “to hold back, hinder”.^(DWB|25, 569)

+ * 1793 – Adelung: “to cause something not to happen”.^(Adelung 1793)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Verb===

+ # To [[m|en|prevent]], to stop something from happening or someone from doing something: ''einen Unfall verhindern''.^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Wiktionary)

+ # ''(obsolete)'' To [[m|en|hinder]] someone.^(Duden GWDS 1999)

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[hindern]]

+ * [[behindern]]

+ * [[Hindernis]]

+ * [[hinter]]

+

+ ==Usage notes==

+ ''Verhindert sein'' is to be unable to come, for work, illness or other reasons.^(Duden GWDS 1999) ''Ein verhinderter …'' (colloquial) is someone with the inclination and talent for a career who never took it up: ''ein verhinderter Schauspieler''.^(Duden GWDS 1999)

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+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}